Toronto Maple Leafs: Top 9 Prospects Not in the NHL

Since Brian Burke took the reins of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has placed an emphasis on player development. The salary cap era of the NHL rewards teams that develop from within, and Burke has caught onto this.

The Leafs now have a large number of prospects waiting to get their shots.

For this list, I've decided to ignore injury call-ups and have stuck with non-NHL guys from season's start. That means Matt Frattin and Jake Gardiner, the Leafs' two most NHL-ready prospects, are not on the list.

Here's the list of the 9 top prospects currently in the Leafs' system.

9. Stuart Percy

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An OHL star, Percy played an important role for Mississauga St. Michael's Majors on their run through the playoffs this past season. He was drafted late in the first round by Toronto and should pan out to be a solid NHLer.

Still young and raw, Percy has a long way to go before he's in the bigs.

7. Brad Ross

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This guy reminds me of Darcy Tucker. Brad Ross puts up good offensive numbers in addition to bringing the energetic game that Burke craves. He is a fan favourite in the WHL and will most certainly bring his energy to the bigs.

6. Ben Scrivens

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Scrivens probably has had the most solid output in training camp of all the Maple Leafs goaltenders. The Cornell kid has been stellar for the Marlies thus far and has received a call-up due to the injured Reimer.

Scrivens might be the most physically underwhelming athlete in hockey, but I guess all that matters is his performance on the ice.

4. Jesse Blacker

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Jesse Blacker dominated in his time in the OHL. He is a true offensive defenseman who can control a power play and move the puck. He has had a great transition to AHL play and should get a call up to the big club at some point this campaign.